Yes, all are very good designs. It boils down to the minute details. I fell in love with the lines of the Whaler. Also I wanted a cuddy cabin because where I live you can have a storm with no warning whatsoever. The Whaler doesn't have a cabin, but is easy to adapt for one.

So far I only have the plywood patterns for the forms cut out for the whaler. I had a baby (Well- my WIFE had the baby but you know what I mean!) 4 months ago, so the project is temporarily on hold. Lofting is very easy and straightforward. I have two big sailboat masts that I salvaged from a wreck and am resawing those to make smaller birdsmouth masts for the Whaler. I'm doing all the parts before the hull goes together.

The design is very beachable with a centerboard and fairly flat bottom. The centerboard is galvanized steel and provides ballast as well. So she can easily be beached, but sails very well and handles seas well from everyone I have talked to that owns one. I also am going to use this for diving wrecks, and so I needed a wide beam that I can haul a bucket of gold (wishful thinking here) over the gunwales without tipping her over. Okay, realistically- I could haul a signal cannon or other cool find from the bottom, and also wanted to fit enough dive gear for three men to do a two-tank dive each, and also stable enough to have a diver sit on the gunwales and not tip the boat over. The Whaler fit all those requirements. Oh, and it also has a motor well that nicely conceals a 4 to 8 hp outboard. For me that was a big factor as well because I do a lot of sailing between the islands and wanted to have the iron jib handy if ever I need to get somewhere and don't have wind.

All of Oughtred's desings are well-respected and top-notch. You really cannot go wrong with Oughtred. You just have to pick the one you want. I was ready to go with the Caledonia Yawl but found the Whaler at the last moment and it just fit me better.